Vitascope.



P. J. MUKAUTZ. VITASCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1910.

1,033,608. Patented July 23, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET1.

W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS P. J. MUKAUTZ.

VITASGOPE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1910.

1,033,608. Patented July 23, 1912.

5 8HEETSSHEBT 2. J7

WITNESSES INVENTOP P. J. MUKAUTZ.

VITASCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1910.

1,033,608. Patented July 23, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W/TNESSES IINVEAI/VTOH 7/ 656! f .Jf aka/1112 BY Md A TTOHNE VS P. J.MUKAUTZ.

VITASGOPB.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 3, 1910.

ATTORNEYS P. J. MUKAUTZ.

VITASOOPE.

APPLIGATION TILED AUG. 3, 1910.

1,033,608. Patented July 23, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

W/TNESSES U U INVENTOR ft -JM 1k 1 M A TTO/YNEYS PETER J. MUKAUTZ, OFKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

VITASCOIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 3, 1910.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Serial No. 575.223.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER J. MUimorz, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Kansas City, in the county of J ack son and State ofMissouri, have invented a new and Improved Vitascope, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to biographs, vitascopes or similar apparatus forthe purpose of projecting moving pictures upon a screen. It may e usedeither alone, as a vitascope, or in connection with a phonograph. Theapparatus is intended to be used in connection with a phonograph, thearrangement bein such that both instruments move in unison, so thatpersons may be represented upon a screen in an act or in conversation,the .words for the lines which the actors are supposed to say beingsupplied by the phonograph at the appropriate time. 7

The invention concerns itself especially with the construction of thepicture-projecting mechanism.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the ccompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the vitascope, representing,diagrammatically. a phonograph in connection therewith; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section taken through the upper portion of thevitascope and illustrating the mechanism for advancing the film andoperating the shutter; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine, aportion of the lamp hood being shown in cross section; Fig. 4 is ahorizontal cross section taken through the vitascope at the shutter. andfurther illustrating the shutteroperating mechanism; Fig. 5 is a rearelevation taken at the shutter and showing a portion of the web andcontiguous arts of the mechanism; and Fig. 6 is a detail showing theform of the blades of the shutter, and the manner in which they overlapeach other in operation.

Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially to Figs. 1 and2, 1 represents the case of the vitascope, which is adapted to bemounted upon a suitable frame 2. On the forward portion of the case alens barrel 3 is provided before which the film 4 is guided, in a mannerwhich will be described more fully hereinafter. Behind the film, thecase 1 is provided with a lamp hood 5, from which the rays of the lampare pro jected through the film, through the lens in the lens barrel 3upon the screen, the screen being located before the audience.

In the case 1 there is mounted a main driving shaft 6 which is adaptedto be continuously rotated by a crank 7. Referring now, also, to Fig. 3,this main driving shaft 6 is provided with bevel gears 8 by means ofwhich an auxiliary driving shaft 9 is continuously rotated. This shaft 9extends downwardly, and operates, through suitable gearing, to rotatethe drum 11 of the phonograph upon which the record is adapted to bereceived. Upon the face of this record a stylus 12 rests, the saidstylus being mounted upon the usual diaphragm which produces a soundissuing from the horn 18. It should be understood that there is arelation or correspondence between the position of the pictures on thefilm and the Words that issue from the phonograph, so that when acertain picture is projected upon the screen, the phonograph willproduce the appropriate words or music.

The mechanism for controlling the movements of the film and shutter willnow be described:

The main driving shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in the side walls 14; and15 of the case 1, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In the side wall 15 which islocated at the left as viewed in Fig. 3, the shaft 6 is provided with agear wheel 16, and this gear wheel meshes with a smaller gear wheel 17which is rigidly mounted upon a balance shaft 18, said shaft having itsextremities rotatably mounted in the side walls 14 and 15 like the shaft6. Near the gear wheel 17 the shaft 18 is provided with a cam gear 19,and this cam gear is formed, at diametrically opposite points, withcurved recesses or cut-outs 20. Adjacent to this cam gear 19, the shaft18 carries rigidly a pin wheel 21 which, opposite the recess 20, isprovided with pins 22, there being a pin opposite each recess, asindicated. Cotiperating with the cam gear 19 I provide a star gear 23,which is rigidly mounted upon a shaft 24. This star gear is formed withfour points or arms 25,

each of which is provided with a radial slot 26, the edges of the gearbetween the arms being curved or cut away to form recesses 27 having thesame curvature as the periphery of the cam gear 19. The cam gear 19, inconnection with the star gear 23, con stitutes a Geneva stop movement.The operation is such that as the cam gear 19 re tates, the pins 22engage successively with the slots 26 and advance the star gear 23 onequarter of a revolution by a step-by-step movement. During the time inwhich the pins 22 are not in engagement with the slots, the star gear 23is locked against rotation from the fact that the periphery of the camgear 19 is in engagement with the concave periphery or recess 27 betweenthe arms. From this arrangement, while the mechanism operates to advancethe star gear by a step-by-step movement, between the periods ofadvance, the star gear is securely locked against rotation. In order toinsure that the rotation of the shaft 18 will be substantially constantor uniform, the shaft is extended beyond the wall 15, and is providedwith a suitable fly-wheel 28, as shown in Fig. 3.

Within the case and attached to the rear side of the forward wall 29thereof, I provide a light shaft 30, which is of substan tially conicalform, enlarging from the position of the shutter toward the opening 31in the forward wall before which the lens barrel 3 is attached. Thislight shaft simply consists of an opaque sleeve, of hard rubber orsimilar material. At its rear end it is provided with a shutter holder32, the construction of which will be described more minutelyhereinafter. On each side of the light shaft 30 as illustrated mostclearly in Figs. 3 and 4, I provide a frame-plate 33.

These frame-plates are rigidly attached to the side walls of the case bymeans of suitable posts 34. The frame-plates 33 are of star form,presenting radially projecting arms or points 35, and these arms are attached to the posts 34, as illustrated. At substantially the centralpoint, each of the Y frame-plates 33 is provided with a master gearwheel. The master gear wheel which lies adjacent to the wall 15 isrepresented by the numeral 36, while the corresponding master gear wheeladjacent to the opposite wall, is represented by the numeral 37. Thegear wheel 36 is adapted to be driven con tinuously through the mediumof a gear wheel 38 which is carried rigidly by the shaft 24. On theupper side of the light shaft, as viewed in Fig. 2, this gear wheel 36meshes with a smaller gear wheel or pinion 39 which is carried rigidlyupon a suitable shaft 40. This gear wheel 39 meshes with two other gearwheels 41 and 42 which are rigidly carried by shafts 43 and 44respectively, and these shafts 43 and 44 are provided with guide rollers45 and 46, across the face of which the film is guided in the mannerindicated. On the lower side of the light shaft the gear wheel 38 mesheswith two gear wheels 47 and 48, which are similar to the gear wheels 41and 42, and these gear wheels are respectively carried rigidly uponshafts 49 and 50. These shafts 49 and 50 are provided with guide rollers51 and 52 respectively, which are similar in construction to the guiderollers 45 and 46 referred to above. The construction of the guiderollers 46 and 51 is most clearly illus trated in Fig. 3. The bodies ofthese rollers are of reduced diameter, as shown, and the ends of therollers are enlarged and provided with spurs or sprocket teeth 53 whichproject outwardly, and these sprocket teeth are adapted to engage withopenings 54 formed in rows adjacent to the edge of the film, asindicated in Fig. 5, so that as the rollers rotate, the film will beadvanced. The rollers 45 and 48 are similar to the rollers 46 and 51,except that they are not provided with the teeth or spurs 53. In orderto hold the film upon the rollers, I provide presscr rollers 55, whichrollers are disposed in pairs on opposite sides of the shutter holder,each pair of presscr rollers being carried in a frame 56 pivoted at 57and constrained toward the film by means of a spring 58. The faces ofthese rollers 55 are provided with outwardly projecting collars 59 whichpress against the film and hold it upon the guide rollers.

From the construction described above, it should be understood that whenthe shaft 24 is being rotated, the guide rollers 45, 46, 51 and 52 willbe rotated so that the film will be advanced. In this way the film isgiven a step-by-step advancing movement.

The gear wheel 37 is driven from the left side of the machine throughthe shaft 40. This shaft has a rigid gear wheel 37 which meshes with thegear 37, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Arrangement is made for opening the shutter during the periods that thefilm remains stationary, so that the picture on the film opposite thelens may be thrown upon the screen. For this purpose, the shafts 60 ofthe master gear wheels are extended through the frame-plates 33, andcarry rigidly cam wheels 61; the form of these cam wheels is veryclearly shown in Fig. 2. They are of substantially circular form,provided with outwardly projecting spurs or teeth 62 disposed an equaldistance apart, as shown. The frame-plates 33 are connected above andbelow the light shaft by transverse pivot bars 63, there being one pivotbar above the shaft and another below it, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon thesepivot bars 63 shutter levers 64 are pivot-ally mounted, and these levers64 are connected by transverse roller bars 65, the said roller barsbeing provided opposite the cam 61, with suitable rollers 66. Theserollers are adapted to be engaged by the edge of the cam wheel 61, sothat as the cam rotates, the spurs 62 may operate periodically to forcethe levers 64 away from the light shaft. The levers 64 are constantlypressed toward the light shaft by means of springs 67 coiled about thepivot bars 63 as indicated. These levers 64 afiord means for opening theshutter when the film is at rest. To accomplish this mode of operation,the shutter holder 32 is provided with a pair I of blades 68 which areguided in the inner portion of the shutter holder so that their inneredges overlap, as indicated in Fig. 2. In this way the blades 68constitute slides which may shut off the light which would enter throughthe hood 5 and pass throu h the opening 69 which is formed in t eshutter holder. The form of the blades 68 is very clearly shown in Fig.6. The adjacent edges of the blades are provided with tongues 70 whichproject toward each other and overlap each other in the open position ofthe shutter. In this way the blades are guided one upon the other, sothat the edges cannot engage with each other when the blades approach;this might prevent the closing of the shutter. The blades 68 areprovided at their outer edges with openings 71 through which the levers64 project, as indicated in Fig. 2. From this arrangement, it should beunderstood that when the rollers 66 are engaged by the spurs 62, asshown in Fig. 2, the levers 64 are forced outwardly so as to pull theblades outwardly and open the shutter.

In order to enable the position of the picture upon the screen beforethe audience, to be adjusted, I provide a light plate or lightscreen'72, illustrated in Fig. 5; from an inspection of this figure, itwill be seen that the ends of the shutter holder are detachablyconnected to the inner faces of the side walls 14 and 15 by screws orother suit-able means. At the side wall 14 the light plate 72 isattached through the medium of a bolt 73 which passes through avertically elongated slot 74 formed in the wall of the case, as shown.This bolt 73 projects to the outer side of the case, where it isprovided with a thumb-head or thumb-nut 75, which affords means forclamping the light plate in vertically adjusted positions. At a suitablepoint, the light plate is provided with a square or rectangular opening76, which determines the position of the illuminated area of the screenbefore the audience. The film 4 passes down across the outer face of theshutter holder, and across the outer side of the film I provide a cover77, which cover is provided at one side with a hinged connection 78which enables the cover to be thrown back for the removal of the film.

The cover is held in its closed position by a suit-able catch 79disposed opposite the hinge joint 78, as shown in Fig. 5. At the polntswhere the film passes through the shutter holder, guide lips 80 areprovided at the edges, which protect. the film and prevent injury to it.i

The driving mechanism for the vitascope is provided with a governor 81,which governor is driven through the medium of a countershaft 82, thesaid countershaft being driven by a pinion 83 carried rigidly therebyand meshing with the aforesaid gear wheel 16 on the main driving shaft6. At the end of the countershaft 82 opposite the pinion 83, a gearwheel 84 is provided, which meshes'with a pinion 85 mounted on the shaftof the governor, and this pinion drives weights 86 which are carriedupon suitable straps 87, as shown. If the machine has a tendency torace, these governor weights or balls 86 fly outwardly, and tend toreduce the speed of the machine. When the weights 86 move outward, theshaft of the governor offers a greater resistance to rotation, thuschecking the movement of the mechanism. When the weights move toward theshaft, the resistance of the shaft to rotation is lessened.

The mode of operation of the entire machine will now be brieflydescribed: By means of the crank 7, the main shaft 6 operates, throughthe medium of the gear wheel 16 to drive the shaft 18. In this way, theGeneva stop movement, which is composed of the cam gear 19 and the stargear 23, operates to give the guide rollers of the film a step-by-stepadvance movement. The amount of advance is normally substantiallythree-quarters of an inch, in the machine which I am now describing.During the time that the film is being advanced, the rollers 66 arerunning on the edges of the cam 61 between the spurs 62, and the shutterblades are closed. When the advance of the film ceases, the Geneva stopmovement locks the star gear 23, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the shaft24 is held against rotation. When the shaft 24 is in this position, apair of oppositely disposed spurs 62 will have raised the levers 64 soas to open the shutter. In this way the film is advanced periodicallyand exposure made, whereupon, as the movement is resumed the shutter isinstantly closed and the advance of the film takes place, while thescreen before the audience is in darkness.

Having thus described my invention, I- claim as new and desire to secureby Let ters Patent:

1. In mechanism of the class described and in combination, a filmfeeding means for advancing the film with a step by step movementinvolving alternate periods of rest and advance, means for directinglight transversely through the film, shut ters arranged between the filmand the light, a pair of levers for each shutter, a shaft for eachpairof levers, the levers of each pair being journaled on the shaft, aspring on the shaft for each lever, and engaging the lever to normallyhold the shutter closed,

the pairs of levers being oppositely arranged, a rod connecting eachpair of levers, each rod having a roller near each lever, and a pair ofcams between the shafts, each cam having oppositely arranged projectionsfor engaging simultaneously the adjacent rollers to open the shutters.

2. In mechanism of the class described, and in combination, a filmfeeding means for advancing the film with a step by step movementinvolving alternate periods of rest and advance, means for directinglight transversely through the film, shutters arranged between the filmand the light, levers connected with each shutter for operating thesame, said levers being connected with a shutter at one end and beingpivoted to a fixed support at the other end, a rigid connection betweenthe levers of each shutter, and a common means engaging the connectionfor simultaneously moving the shutters away from each other, and springsengaging the levers to normally hold the shutters closed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER J. MUKAUTZ. Witnesses W. C. MORGAN, A. G. FOSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

